WALES’ descent from Grand Slam champions continues as they lost their fifth Test in a row last night – their second to a side ranked below them.

Rob Howley will face an awkward handover when Warren Gatland returns to take the reins next week as this result followed the weekend defeat by Argentina

Gatland, who has been away on Lions duty, faces the toughest task in reinventing his side with New Zealand and Australia next up. It may be beyond even him.

“We were second best in quite a few facets of the game,” said Ryan Jones, who was leading Wales for a record 29th time.

“Samoa were physical and came with a game plan to stop us playing and it worked.

“We’ve got to front up in a week’s time against the best side in the world.”

Fly-half Rhys Priestland added: “The last two performances have not been good enough.”

Wales could hardly have made a worse start.

Samoa were physical and came with a game plan to stop us playing and it worked

Ryan Jones

Newcastle No 8 Taiasina Tuifu’a slipped Aaron Jarvis’s tackle on the Welsh 10m line and when he was finally brought to ground by Alex Cuthbert and Leigh Halfpenny, Samoa were there in numbers and sent it wide, using the extra man to send full-back Fa’atoina Autagavaia over. Just 63 seconds had elapsed.

Samoa, already confident after thrashing Canada last week, were abrasive, full of verve, attacking the gain line with precision.

Wales struggled to get out of their own half – although on only the second occasion they did, in the 16th minute, Halfpenny banged over a 40-metre penalty.

Samoa’s two flankers, Maurie Fa’asavalu and Ofisa Treviranus were having a field day in keeping Wales out of their rhythm and ruling the midfield.

Only Samoan errors were allowing Wales to establish territory, and Halfpenny brought them to within a point after 30 minutes with his second penalty.

Another error allowed Wales to claim the lead. Tusi Pisi flung a wild pass on the Welsh 22 and centre Ashley Beck intercepted and sprinted 80 metres for his first Test try.

Dan Biggar’s attempt to nail down the problem fly-half position had been hardly convincing before it was ended in the 38th minute when Teofilo Paulo drove into him over a ruck, slicing open his forehead.

The match officials missed it, but citing commissioner Paul Minto will no doubt take an interest.

On the stroke of half-time Tusi Pisi brought Samoa to within three points with a penalty.

At the start of the second half Wales were again caught cold. David Lemi ripped the ball from Beck in the tackle and scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i escaped down the short side and slipped the ball to George Pisi.

The Northampton centre still had work to do but he escaped Priestland’s tackle and just touched the ball down before flattening the corner flag.

Halfpenny edged Wales back into the lead with a huge penalty from his own half, but there was little convincing from them.

Halfpenny and Tusi Pisi swapped penalties, but as the match entered the final 10 minutes Samoa were 21-19 ahead.

The Welsh scrum was crumbling despite the appearance of Lions prop Gethin Jenkins off the bench.

And the final nail was driven home when Lemi chipped ahead and Halfpenny won the race behind his own line but he could not ground the ball, allowing Johnny Leota to race in and poach the try.